LGBT+ History Month celebrates the achievements of LGBTQ+ people throughout history. It was started in 2005 by Schools OUT, a charity that has worked for over 50 years to reduce prejudice through education and to create learning environments where LGBTQ+ people feel safe, seen and supported. Although much progress has been made over recent years, there remains more work to do. In this blog, R. Harris, Professor of Education, highlights the challenges that still face LGBTQ+ students in UK schools today and argues how schools must lead the way with a more inclusive approach.
When I tell people that I research the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people in schools, they often assume that things ‘these days’ are much better than previous decades for the LGBTQ+ community. In many ways this is true, yet the work I do highlights a series of worrying challenges facing LGBTQ+ students today.
Yes, some things are better – for example, one young man I spoke to explained that he was white, middle class and gay, and that was seen as totally acceptable. As such, he did not encounter much hostility towards his sexual identity. Yet another student in the same school who was exploring their gender identity (and by the way, had the most fabulous make up!) experienced daily harassment that seriously impacted their engagement with school and life generally.
Unfortunately, their experience was not unusual. In another school, a trans student described how, for their own safety, they varied their route to and from school to avoid harassment from their peers. This student recounted an episode where they were followed by a group of students, were surrounded and then pelted with sticks and plastic bottles. Another student recounted how, during a bad day, abuse from their peers tipped them over the edge and resulted in them being rushed to hospital following a suicide attempt.
LGBTQ+ youngsters often experience both social and cognitive isolation in school, feelings that are strongly linked to mental health problems. The cognitive isolation stems from students not seeing themselves represented in the curriculum. In recent years, schools have taken significant strides in making the curriculum more ethnically diverse to ensure that ethnic minority students are represented and feel included. This also helps to educate other about the experiences and role of different groups and societies. However, many schools struggle to adopt a similar approach for the LGBTQ+ community.
Clearly things could be better, and there are things that could be done to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ students and normalise their existence.
A key issue is leadership, whether that be from government or from leadership teams in schools. For instance, one school I researched has embraced an inclusive approach to LGBTQ+ issues. In history lessons the children learn about different significant individuals, one of whom is Harvey Milk – one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States. In practice this means they have a strong focus on promoting kindness and acceptance within the school community, which has resulted in a positive school atmosphere more generally. As one teacher I spoke to said, “it’s just about acceptance and that understanding. They don’t question each other’s differences in the same way because they’re just being exposed to all the possible differences that they need to be prepared for in life anyway.”
Unfortunately, this is not reflected everywhere. For example, the nature of the discourse around transgender issues has grown increasingly toxic, partly fuelled by rhetoric from the previous government and the wider, more conservative media. This can be seen in government consultations, such as the ‘Gender Questioning Children’ proposals in 2023, around how schools should treat transgender students. One of these proposals would require teachers to inform parents if students socially transitioned at school. Although seemingly pragmatic, this raises concerns about safeguarding for trans youngsters who are not ‘out’ at home. In 2024, the Conservative government also proposed changes to the Relationships and Sex Education statutory guidance that would weaken the expectation on primary schools to teach anything about sexual orientation and same-sex parents, and would also remove any reference to issues around gender identity.
Schools are reluctant to engage with a more inclusive curriculum for several complex reasons. A key issue for primary schools appears to be fears of negative parental reaction. Several studies in the UK and around the world (Australia, Canada and the USA) have highlighted how schools are concerned about this, but these same studies also show that the vast majority of parents would be supportive of a more LGBTQ+ inclusive approach. This reluctance is reflected in work I have done with primary schools in Reading, who often are deeply cautious and fearful of parental reaction, assuming that particular religious or ethnic groups would be hostile to a more LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum. Another common issue raised by teachers in both primary and secondary schools is a lack of training about the issues facing LGBTQ+ youngsters and how to teach about LGBTQ+ issues in an appropriate manner.
Change is possible, and there is plenty of support available for both schools and teachers. Schools that have engaged with creating a more inclusive LGBTQ+ environment report positive experiences, but they often need to be courageous initially to get started. Indeed, I have found that many of the students I have spoken to exhibit tremendous courage simply by attending school in the face of hostility and harassment. Ideally, schools and teachers would step up and show courage instead; the courage to create more inclusive environments so that LGBTQ+ students don’t have to be brave just to attend school.